Fireworks | Millennial Abroad

This is a Busan Ex-Pat City Guide post. Check out the rest of my list here.

When I first arrived in Busan, a departing teacher from my hagwon mentioned her most unforgettable moments from her 16 months in Busan. “Oh, and do not miss the fireworks festival at the end of October,” she said, “it’s one of the best events of the year.” I eagerly stored this little nugget of information away in my travel notebook, added it to my Bucket List, blinked my eyes, and somehow ended up three months into the future, on a chilly October evening BECAUSE TIME IS MOVING AT WARP SPEED.

This past Saturday marked the 9th Annual Busan International Fireworks Festival, one of the most popular tourist attractions and busiest nights of the year. The fireworks show takes place at Gwangalli Beach, incorporates the second largest bridge in all of Korea (Gwangan), and leaves the general population of Busan in jaw-dropping, fly-catching awe. Having spoken to multiple people about what a sardine can the beach turns into every year, Jess, Maddie and I began to reevaluate just where we would go to view the show. The idea of being pushed and shoved and stepped on by hoards of ajummas was not super appealing to any of us.

Luckily, we stumbled upon a solution to literally elevate ourselves out of the masses: ascending 40 minutes up Mount Geumnyeonsan, a mountain chain offering a stunning panoramic view of Gwangan Bridge and the surrounding area (check out some visuals on Busan for 91 Days).

Unsure about exactly how busy the mountain would be, Maddie, Jess, and Mary got a head start and secured a prime area at the observatory atop the mountain. The latecomers, including Kendall, Terri, Claire, and myself followed about 30 minutes later. This turned out to be a blessing and a curse: not knowing any better, our foursome opted for more rugged terrain and took the path through the forest as opposed to continuing up the paved road. Given that I was in skinny jeans and brogues, I prayed to Meryl that the inevitable thigh chafing and baby toe blisters would be vindicated once our ascent was complete. However, the blessing: the trail was truly serene and offered fantastic views of Busan throughout the hike. Certainly a hike I would recommend with a professional camera.

Eventually, after nearly 40 minutes of our faux-barbershop quartet that panted, grunted, moaned, and snarled instead of harmonizing, we reached the observatory. Our little group of seven munched on snacks, rehashed evenings in Busan, gossiped, and hid our frozen bodies beneath blankets – it was essentially a sleepover atop Mount Geumnyeonsan.

After nearly 2 hours of waiting and several false alarms (read: test fireworks), the show began. Peering out from the lookout down onto the city, lit up and pulsing, was so awe-inspiring. It also put me in a very silly mood, although, this could be attributed to the mass amount of candy I consumed directly before. To give you an idea: I was that obnoxious foreigner “oooohing” and “ahhhhing” when shrimpy, unimpressive fireworks would go up and also the dude loudly singing the Bellas’ final performance from Pitch Perfect. At the end of the night, I had fun and that’s what matters, right? *silence*

Having watched The Busan International Fireworks Festival from what felt like the top of the world, my former coworkers’ attestation that this was one of the most unforgettable nights of the year was so incredibly authentic. The city is abuzz, whether on the beach, on the mountain, or from an apartment complex. If you happen to be in Busan in late October 2014, add it to your Bucket List, too!

Directions
To get to Mount Geumnyeonsan, take the Busan Subway Green Line (Line 2) to Geumnyeonsan Station (stop 210) Mountain Station. Walk straight out of exit #3, and turn right once you hit the McDonald’s, away from the beach. It is about a 15 minute walk from Geumnyeonsan Station to the base of the mountain. The ascent is about 40 minutes.